Rhythm
It's been quiet around here for the past two weeks. Cindy and I have been away on retreat. We spent ten days in the Texas hill country at a retreat center with several other Vineyard pastors and leaders. The place was remote - so remote that the nearest "town" was about 20 miles away. So remote that we were about an hour away form the nearest cell tower. Talk about unplugging. Ten days without a phone. Ten days with limited e-mail. Ten days with little contact to the outside world. In an environment like that, things finally start to quiet down in your mind and you can start to hear God again.
The days were simple. Wake up at seven. Get showered and dressed. Grab a cup of coffee and head to morning prayer. A small group of us would pray the office every morning at eight. At eight fifteen, the bell would ring and we would eat breakfast as a community. Worship at nine, a teaching and then a story. The bell would ring at noon - lunch as a community. A time of solitude and silence from one till one thirty. The rest of the afternoon was free - meet with someone or not. Read, walk, canoe, sleep... whatever. At Five forty five the bell would ring again - dinner as a community. Another story at seven and then evening prayer at nine thirty with the same small group as in the morning. After that - perhaps a fire, or to sleep. Then repeat. Sunday was free to do whatever.
After a while, a rhythm begins. And within that rhythm God speaks, ministers and heals. As the week went on I began to realize how out of rhythm I had become and that it was affecting every area of my life. My marriage, my family, my ministry....my entire life. Ten days later and the rhythm seems to be back, at least in Cindy and I.
We picked the kids up yesterday. By the end of the day I was longing for that thirty minutes of solitude and silence. They are not in rhythm. I'm guessing that the church isn't in rhythm either. I figure I have a choice. I can either throw away these past ten days and return to what I was or I can teach what I have learned and try to get the other areas in my life into God's rhythm. Needless to say, I'm going to do the later.
So what is that going to look like? Our family is going to start praying the office together daily - morning and evening. We will do times of silence and solitude. And we will keep a true Sabbath (Mondays). No phones, no computers. Some time with God in the morning and then time together as a family. Extended time off once a year and a true short retreat for Cindy and I once a year as well. The church is a little more complicated - but God is faithful. I figure it will take some time, but I think it will be well worth it.
I'm going to try and journal this journey into rhythm here. I know that part of the temptation as a reader of blogs is to read and move on. I want to challenge all of you out there to take some time and find God's rhythm in your life. Stop everything for a moment and be still - you will be amazed and what God wants to say.
The days were simple. Wake up at seven. Get showered and dressed. Grab a cup of coffee and head to morning prayer. A small group of us would pray the office every morning at eight. At eight fifteen, the bell would ring and we would eat breakfast as a community. Worship at nine, a teaching and then a story. The bell would ring at noon - lunch as a community. A time of solitude and silence from one till one thirty. The rest of the afternoon was free - meet with someone or not. Read, walk, canoe, sleep... whatever. At Five forty five the bell would ring again - dinner as a community. Another story at seven and then evening prayer at nine thirty with the same small group as in the morning. After that - perhaps a fire, or to sleep. Then repeat. Sunday was free to do whatever.
After a while, a rhythm begins. And within that rhythm God speaks, ministers and heals. As the week went on I began to realize how out of rhythm I had become and that it was affecting every area of my life. My marriage, my family, my ministry....my entire life. Ten days later and the rhythm seems to be back, at least in Cindy and I.
We picked the kids up yesterday. By the end of the day I was longing for that thirty minutes of solitude and silence. They are not in rhythm. I'm guessing that the church isn't in rhythm either. I figure I have a choice. I can either throw away these past ten days and return to what I was or I can teach what I have learned and try to get the other areas in my life into God's rhythm. Needless to say, I'm going to do the later.
So what is that going to look like? Our family is going to start praying the office together daily - morning and evening. We will do times of silence and solitude. And we will keep a true Sabbath (Mondays). No phones, no computers. Some time with God in the morning and then time together as a family. Extended time off once a year and a true short retreat for Cindy and I once a year as well. The church is a little more complicated - but God is faithful. I figure it will take some time, but I think it will be well worth it.
I'm going to try and journal this journey into rhythm here. I know that part of the temptation as a reader of blogs is to read and move on. I want to challenge all of you out there to take some time and find God's rhythm in your life. Stop everything for a moment and be still - you will be amazed and what God wants to say.
